


To The End

by SnowQueenOfMyHeart



Category: Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (Cartoon)
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Cassunzel Week, F/F, Friends to Lovers, Long overdue kissing, Love Confessions, Originally Posted on Tumblr, The Lost Lagoon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-24
Updated: 2019-06-24
Packaged: 2020-05-19 03:25:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,189
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19348534
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SnowQueenOfMyHeart/pseuds/SnowQueenOfMyHeart
Summary: For the Love and Loyalty prompt of Cassunzel Week. Rapunzel returns to the Lost Lagoon some months after the events in the Dark Kingdom and finds an unexpected surprise. Long overdue confessions and much-needed comfort ensue.





	To The End

It has been months since the incident in the Dark Kingdom. Rapunzel doesn’t know if she’ll ever fully recover from what happened. Sure, the evil forces of Zhan Tiri have been defeated and some semblance of peace has returned to Corona. But something is missing...

More appropriately, someone is missing.

And that’s all Rapunzel really wants. She wants her best friend back. She wants to go on more adventures with the woman who showed her freedom when life seemed to be guiding her along the path of royal duty and confinement - not quite like what she had experienced for 18 years, but certainly not much better in her mind. All she wants is to see that smile reserved only for her. But she doesn’t know if that will ever happen again.

One night, she ventures out to a place only she knows about. Well, only she and Cassandra ever knew about. It was their first real adventure together, the journey that brought them fiercely close. It stings to recall those days long past, yet for some mysterious reason her heart is calling her back to the Lost Lagoon. As she makes her way stealthily out of the castle and through the fields, retracing her steps to the pathway she once knew like the back of her hand, she feels a slight chill. Perhaps it is the cool night air, or the thrill of sneaking around. Whatever it is, that feeling is replaced with nervousness as she approaches the ravine and slides down. The water down below is just as cool as the first time she found it. Wading through carefully, Rapunzel hopes her presence in the lagoon will go unnoticed.

When she finally reaches it, she feels a mix of joy and sadness at seeing the place. She can almost hear Cassandra’s voice echoing through the cavernous space.

“Raps?”

Rapunzel screams. Looking up, she sees a woman clad in black with what looks like the black rocks that terrorized Corona not so long ago. Her light blue hair and matching eyes give her an eerie glow in the darkness of the cave, but the expression on her face is one of shock and wonder.

“Cassandra?” Rapunzel can’t believe it. She takes a timid step forward. Cassandra rises from her spot, standing at full height and looking like she doesn’t know what to do. She lets out a short sob.

“Cass!” Rapunzel cries as she races forward and throws herself on her friend. Yes, her friend. Even after all this time, she can’t bear to consider Cassandra an enemy despite her actions and her undeniably villainous appearance. Much to her surprise, Cassandra hugs her back, tightly, and suddenly Rapunzel is sobbing against her neck.

“Wh-what...what are you...doing here?” Rapunzel manages to choke out in between sobs as she pulls back from the badly needed embrace, but their hands remain clasped together.

Cassandra glances away before looking back at Rapunzel. The guilt is evident in her eyes; she wonders whether this was a good idea. But they are here now, so no point in backing out.

“I...I needed...” she struggles to find the words, realizing this will be a lot harder than she anticipated. “I needed to...return something.”

“What do you mean?” Rapunzel asks.

Cassandra steps away, their hands breaking. For a moment, Rapunzel fears she is about to leave and reaches out before stopping herself. She needs to let Cassandra speak and act on her own time. From experience, she has learned the hard way what can happen if she pushes her friend too far too fast.

Cassandra is facing away, her hands holding something that Rapunzel can’t see. The former soldier is turning the parcel over and over in her fingers, tears welling up in her eyes. This is so much harder than she feared. But it has to be done.

“This,” she finally says, turning around and extending her arm. In her hand is a small teal pouch, one that Rapunzel immediately recognizes. Cassandra had worn it on her belt for as long as she could remember, even when they had left Corona to uncover the truth about the black rocks. She never knew what that pouch contained.

With trembling fingers, she takes the pouch and examines it. There was nothing malicious about it from what she could see. If Cassandra meant to hurt her, she could have done so by now. She opens the little bag and turns it over, emptying its contents into her outstretched hand. Her eyes grow wide.

Two small stones sat in her palm, glowing by the peculiar light of the lagoon. They were stones from this very place. Stones that Rapunzel had once used to fashion bracelets for herself and for Cassandra. But when they had solved the mystery of the Lost Lagoon, the bracelets had been left here as a solemn pledge to never reveal its location or its secrets. Rapunzel cam remember the vow she had shared with Cassandra and how they had tossed their bracelets into the lagoon. Yet here are the very stones she assumed were sitting beneath the water.

She looks up at Cassandra, speechless. Her eyes ask the question she cannot put into words.

“Before we left Corona,” Cassandra explains, her hand rubbing her arm nervously, “I came back here to...to retrieve the stones. I know we were supposed to leave them here but, honestly, I was so nervous about this adventure you were embarking on, I needed something to remind me that no matter what, we would be okay. So...finding the bracelets we once had made sense. I just took the stones; the bracelets were ruined anyway.”

As she continues to talk, Rapunzel can’t help but stare with a mixture of amazement and affection. After all this time, she learns that her best girlfriend was keeping a memento of their first big adventure. How is she supposed to react to that?

“But...the Dark Kingdom...” Okay, maybe not the best transition, but Rapunzel did have a point. Cassandra’s armor was destroyed during her transformation. It did not seem like any remnants of her old outfit remained - or anything that she had on her person.

“I found it. It was lying near the doorway to that...” She can’t finish the sentence. The room where it happened. The room where she had betrayed her best friend. “It must have flown off. Later, I went back and discovered it. Of course I couldn’t believe it had survived, but I knew it needed to be brought back. Because...I didn’t think I needed it anymore...”

Those words cut like a thousand black rocks piercing Rapunzel’s heart.

“What?! How can you say that?!”

“Rapunzel, look at me!” Cassandra shoots back, arms outstretched. “Look at what I’ve become! I betrayed you! I swore I would protect you and look where it got me! I...I...I FAILED YOU!” The tears are streaming down her cheeks now, her body shaking as she struggles to get out all this pent-up emotion. “You trusted me...and I failed you! What kind of friend does that?!”

“The kind who cares more about her friend than herself.”

Cassandra stops. She looks at Rapunzel, not believing what she just heard.

“Cassandra, you gave...you gave up everything for me. I didn’t mean for any of this to happen, and I know you know that. But I never asked you to give up your life...or your body to keep me safe. And yet you did what you thought was necessary to keep me safe. We know you were still trying to protect me by taking the moonstone. It still hurts to remember what you did, but...you were...”

A long pause settles in. Neither woman knows exactly what to say.

“Cass, do you remember when you said I was the beating heart of this kingdom?”

“Yes.”

“And how you told me the first time we came here that you were born to defend this kingdom?”

“...yes.”

“Then,” Rapunzel continued cautiously, “wouldn’t you say that, in going to such extraordinary lengths to protect me from an uncertain fate, you were fulfilling your duty to protect Corona? By protecting me?”

“Well...if you put it that way...”

“Cassandra.”

“Yes, yes! But that’s not the point-”

“We swore to keep the kingdom safe. Here, in this lagoon. Remember?”

Cassandra paused, knowing she was right.

Rapunzel took a step forward, holding the stones up in her hand.

“We took an oath.”

“To protect Corona.”

“We discovered that love is what binds this kingdom together.”

“And love is what it takes to keep the kingdom safe.”

“You loved me.”

Rapunzel stops, mere inches away, realizing she just went too far.

“No.”

Her heart breaks a little. Just as she feared, Cassandra is going to deny that she ever did, that it was all a lie...

“I still love you.”

Rapunzel stops breathing for a good few seconds. Cassandra is locking eyes with her, for once daring to share how she truly feels.

“And no matter how badly I wanted to deny it, no matter how much I wanted it to be just another stupid dream...I do. I love you, Rapunzel.”

She steps forward, her hand wrapping around Rapunzel’s, palms pressing the stones together. They are so close, faces leaning closer.

“The oath...” Rapunzel whispers.

“I remember...” Cassandra replies.

“ Herein lies our treasure, bonded with an embrace, let it not be disturbed.” Together, as it should be.

Their hands break apart, the stones clattering to the floor of the cave, and in the next moment their lips are locked in a long overdue kiss. Tears stream down their faces as years of pent-up feelings, hidden desires and unspoken confessions pour into that kiss. Rapunzel wraps her arms tightly around Cassandra’s shoulders, her black rock armor be damned. Cassandra embraces Rapunzel fiercely around the waist, tugging the woman of her dreams closer as she wordlessly conveys just how intense her loyalty to the princess has been. She feels a hand running along her cheekbone, a soft moan or a whimper escaping the blonde’s lips. It’s hard to say because so many emotions are warring with each other in both girls. But they don’t want the moment to end.

If they bothered to open their eyes, they would be dazzled by the light show unfolding around them. As it is, their eyes are closed shut as they choose to focus solely on the sense of touch, craving contact that had long been denied. But Rapunzel’s hair has come loose and is illuminating the cavern with a brilliant light almost like the sun. Tearing free of its restraints, the hair floats and waves in the air like a sentient being, then it encircles the two women but doesn’t touch either. Meanwhile, Cassandra’s hair is glowing a bright blue color, almost white like the full moon. Without warning, the black rock armor starts to crack, then falls to the floor and disintegrates.

Coming to their senses, Rapunzel and Cassandra break apart. They each notice the receding glow of their hair, and Rapunzel realizes Cassandra is now standing before her in a ragged tunic and shorts, a sad remnant of her previous outfit. The black rock armor is no more. Feeling somewhat embarrassed, Cassandra blushes as she takes in her appearance. But Rapunzel wastes no time in stripping her dress off so that she is now in her underwear, making it less awkward for Cassandra. Or so she hopes.

But it works. Cassandra appreciates the gesture.

It’s at that moment that Rapunzel gasps and runs her hands through Cassandra’s raven-colored locks. Their natural color. Cassandra notices that Rapunzel has lost her golden hair and is back to its natural brown, short look. Soft smiles cross their faces - until Rapunzel runs a hand over Cassandra’s chest and finds a distinct scar just over her heart. It’s bluish-black, with little spikes jutting out. A harsh reminder of what used to be there. The tears start to form again.

Sensing her distress, Cassandra quickly picks up the discarded stones and places one in Rapunzel’s hand. She presses said hand over her heart, with the stone wedged in between.

“Herein lies our treasure,” she says quietly.

“Bonded with an embrace,” Rapunzel says slowly.

“Let it not be disturbed,” they finish in unison.

Rapunzel presses her hand into soft flesh, feeling the stone that once served as a memory of their happiness and friendship - and could do so again. A strong heartbeat reverberates against her warm touch.

She can’t help it now. Tears fall softly as she is pulled into a gentle hug. She keeps the hand over her best friend’s - her girlfriend’s - heart, nestling her head against the other shoulder and inhaling shakily. Cassandra runs a soothing hand through her now shorter hair, the other holding her waist with the second stone pressed against her lower back.

“Oh, Cassandra, I love you so much,” Rapunzel confesses before she buries her face into the pale neck. “Please...don’t leave me.”

“I will always be with you, Rapunzel,” Cassandra whispers protectively, holding her close. “To the end.”


End file.
